The Advocacy Fund is a unique and innovative fund, that is predominantly made up of the same companies in our ethically-screened Diversified Shares Fund, but it also has provision to buy shares in companies that don’t pass our ethical charter for the purposes of advocacy.
The Advocacy Fund invests in a diversified share portfolio of Australian and international companies selected on the basis of their social, environmental and financial credentials. Generally, all Australian investments will have a market capitalisation greater than the 200th ranked stock listed on the ASX. The Fund has a low level of turnover and aims to be fully invested at all times.
As an advocacy fund, one of the main purposes of the Fund is to engage directly with companies to pursue improved corporate behaviours in line with the Australian Ethical Charter.

Description

Australian Ethical believe the more money doing good for the planet, the better. Since 1986 we have been influenced by the 23 principles of the Australian Ethical Charter to invest in ethical and responsible initiatives that have a positive impact on the planet, people and animals while achieving competitive long-term returns. We avoid investments in corporations that engage in harmful practices such as coal, oil, weapons, tobacco, gambling and human rights abuses. The Charter not only influences our investment choices, but underpins every aspect of our business practices.

We seek out investments which provide for and support:

the development of workers’ participation in the ownership and control of their work organisations and places;

the production of high quality and properly presented products and services;

the development of locally based ventures; the development of appropriate technological systems;

the amelioration of wasteful or polluting practices; the development of sustainable land use and food production;

the preservation of endangered eco-systems; activities which contribute to human happiness, dignity and education;

the dignity and wellbeing of non-human animals;

the efficient use of human waste;

the alleviation of poverty in all its forms; and

the development and preservation of appropriate human buildings and landscape.

We avoid investments that are considered to unnecessarily:

pollute land, air or water destroy or waste non-recurring resources;

extract, create, produce, manufacture, or market materials, products, goods or services which have a harmful effect on humans, non-human animals or the environment;

market, promote or advertise, products or services in a misleading or deceitful manner;

create markets by the promotion or advertising of unwanted products or services;

acquire land or commodities primarily for the purpose of speculative gain;

create, encourage or perpetuate militarism or engage in the manufacture of armaments; entice people into financial over-commitment;

exploit people through the payment of low wages or the provision of poor working conditions;

discriminate by way of race, religion or sex in employment, marketing, or advertising practices; and

The purpose of this tool is to assist you to find out about financial products that apply a responsible or ethical investment strategy that may be of interest to you. The information provided by this tool is not a recommendation to invest in any investment products. The tool does not take into account your particular investment objectives, financial situation or investment needs, all of which should be considered prior to making an investment decision. You should seek professional financial advice before making any investment decision.

What sets these investment products aside from regular ones on the market is they all have some type of responsible or ethical strategy applied to them.

At a minimum, their issuers explain these strategies in public documents and open their offices and books to third party verifiers who check these strategies are implemented according to what you read about them publicly.

You can also click through to see the underlying managers and / or stock holdings in each certified product as well as access a certified product’s recent performance results.

Because there are simply so many different approaches to investing (and interests that people have in it), we haven't set out to define responsible or ethical investing or standards. Instead, we've served up our member's certified products with a large dose of transparency and independent verification, so that you the consumer can draw your own conclusions from reliable information and choose investments that best suit your individual needs.